Bless This Broken Road
by mockingjay-x
Summary: One-shot. Puck and Rachel. She didn't make him want to set himself on fire anymore.


**Another Puck/Rachel one-shot. Based on Rascal Flatts, Bless This Broken Road. Not much to say other than that. Read and Review, I'd appreciate it. **

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_I set out on a narrow way many years ago  
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road  
But I got lost a time or two  
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through  
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you  
_

Rachel Berry made him want to set himself on fire, it was that simple. She was annoying, she didn't shut up even when it was clear that everyone wanted her to, included Mr. Schuester and other teachers. To be quite honest, she was just downright annoying. But she could sing, she could sing really damn well. Hell, her voice was like an angel or some shit like that. Only, he wouldn't admit that to her or anyone else for that matter, but she could really since.

It wasn't that Puck hadn't heard her sing before, he had, at temple. She would sing quietly to herself though, almost worried incase someone heard her and told her to just shut her damn mouth. But Puck never did, he never told her to shut up, but each time she realised that he was in the same room as her, she'd do it automatically. She'd then apologise and tell him that if he didn't want her to sing then he should just say something. To which Puck replied: Whatever, Berry.

Only it wasn't a matter of 'Whatever, Berry'. She was the damn reason he offered to help clear up, so he could hear her voice and let everything just disappear even if it was just for a minute or two. So, Rachel Berry had been his reason for joining Glee, undoubtedly. Only, Puck wasn't going to tell anyone this, least of all Rachel.

"Noah?" Rachel whispered softly as she looked at him, he could feel her eyes boring into him and he was getting a little annoyed.

"What, Berry?" The harshness in his tone hadn't been intended, but he wasn't going to apologise to her. No fucking way.

It was then that he noticed her look away and down to her hands that were resting in her lap and he hated himself for being such an ass to her. "Quinn isn't in school today."

It was almost as though Rachel knew. It was almost as though she knew that something had gone on between him and Quinn and that he'd actually give a shit that the blonde wasn't in school. Did she fucking know about the baby?! Puck couldn't stop himself from looking over at the brunette, hoping that she'd give something away. "And? Why do you think that concerns me?"

"You were asking Santana earlier, I just thought you should know. Quinn isn't here, she's not feeling up to being in school today."

Crap. He'd forgotten about how he'd held Santana up against the locker that morning when he'd been asking where Quinn was. But how the fuck did Berry know? "How'd you hear? Eavesdropping?"

"I'm surprised that word is in your vocabulary, Noah." Rachel replied tartly, slowly bringing her gaze up to him. "If you don't remember, my locker is four doors from Santanas and when I'm retrieving a book from my locker, there are some things which are harder to ignore than others."

Oh shit. Now he remembered, because Santana had made some bitchy comment towards Rachel as she walked away and that Puck had wanted to apologise on behalf of the Cheerio. "Oh. Right. You know what's wrong with her?"

Shaking her head slightly, Rachel half smiled in his direction and Puck couldn't hide the smile that came across his own lips. "No, I'm afraid not. But if I do happen to find out, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Thanks, Berry." Puck mumbled. He wasn't quite sure why he'd chosen the choir room to hide out from everything and he knew that Rachel would be there, but he had. And despite her craziness, sometimes it was calming. He sat there and watched her placed her tiny lunch box on her lap and open it. "You got anything good in there?"

Looking back up at Noah, Rachel shrugged her shoulders slightly and pulled out a Twinkie and held it out towards him. "Twinkie?"

Without hesititating, he held his hand out and took the Twinkie from her, his fingers brushing over the back of her hand as he done so. "Share it?"

Rachel looked up at him, unsure of his words but seeing the look on his face she knew he meant it so she nodded her head before moving her seat closer to his. They sat there for the rest of their lunch break in silence, every so often, Puck would take some of her food from her only to receive a glare from Rachel or to have her hit his arm, but each time neither one could hide the smile.

_  
Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

No one was talking to him. No one but Rachel. Babygate was just a screwed up mess in Puck's opinion. He was sitting on the bleachers, just as he had been all morning. At least this way he wasn't going to get punched or deal with Quinn's death glares or anything like that. He could just sit there in silence and think about how screwed up things were.

Puck was so lost in his own world that he hadn't noticed Rachel sitting beside him until she took his hand in her own and held a Twinkie in the other. As he felt her rest her head on his shoulder as he gripped her hand even tighter. Despite him wanting to just be alone, he was grateful that Rachel had just come to see how he was, even if she wasn't speaking.

"Do I get that Twinkie or are you just gonna hold it?" Puck asked after a few minutes of silence and grinned when she handed it to him and took her hand out of his, but placing it on his knee instead. Unwrapping the sponge cake, Puck broke it in half and handed it to Rachel who just shook her head against his shoulder.

"You have it."

"You can't break a tradition, Rach." He wasn't sure when he had started calling her by her first name. But he liked it and the fact that she took the cake from him told him that she liked it too. Or maybe it was the whole fact that he'd called their little thing a 'tradition', she liked things like that.

As he felt her head move from his shoulder, Puck looked at the brunette who was now looking at him, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she looked at him. "How are you, Noah?"

That hadn't been a question he'd expected, but he couldn't lie to her either. He couldn't just turn around and lie to the one person who stuck by his side despite the years of torment. "I've been better. The Twinkies help though."

"It's a good job that I have plenty more at home then, isn't it?" Rachel asked with a small smile on her face before taking a bite of the cake, licking her lips afterwards.

Nothing was more appealling to him in that moment than kissing her, but he had no idea whether she would even want him too. Was she not still hung up on Finn? So, instead, he turned his head back to look out at the football field, eating his half of the twinkie. He noticed her finish the last of her half and then she reached for his hand again and went back to leaning her head on his shoulder. Nothing was more comforting than spending his lunch break like this.

"Noah?"

"Fuck, Berry. What is it?" He was enjoying the silence as they sat there, both lost in their own thoughts as he brushed his thumb across the back of her hand.

Rachel felt herself blush slightly and she pulled her hand from his grip and sat up, placing both her hands in her lap as she played with the hem of her skirt. "Sorry, I should go, I'm sure you were enjoying it much more before I got here." Without looking at him, she stood up and just as she turned to walk away, Puck grabbed her hand and pulled her back, only he pulled her onto his lap this time.

"Stay." He mumbled, his eyes on her as she looked down almost shyly. "It's not the same without you. I don't feel like I'm going fucking crazy when I'm around you. You keep me calm."

Shit. What the fuck was he admitting to that for? That was not badass, at all. That did not prove how much of a stud he was. But when she looked at him, smiling softly only seconds before her head was buried in the crook of his neck, he felt like saying that was the right thing to do.

"You're not going crazy, Noah. Apparently that's my thing."

_I think about the years I spent just passing through  
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you  
But you just smile and take my hand  
You've been there you understand  
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true_

Puck wasn't sure how she had got into his house, let alone his room, but Rachel Berry was curled up beside him on his bed, her head resting against his chest as she breathed steadily. He didn't want to wake her, but he needed the bathroom and he couldn't exactly take a leak in his bed. That was just wrong. Glancing over at his clock, he saw that it was almost 9pm, he'd been asleep for about four hours and he knew his Mom would be back soon.

Carefully, Puck moved off his bed managing not to wake Rachel up as he done so before making his way into the bathroom. He could hear the television on, which meant that either his Mom was already home or his sister was still up and watching TV.

When he walked back into his room, Rachel was still laying on his bed asleep and Puck couldn't deny that she looked good laying there. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of something he could only assume she'd call socks on her feet. He guessed she'd worn sneakers to his and when he was about to walk out of his room, he saw the tiny pair of shoes sitting just inside his door and his suspicions were confirmed.

As he walked into the living room, he saw his Mom and sister sitting on the couch together, his Mom looking up and giving him a sympathetic smile as she done so. "Where's Rachel?"

"Asleep." Puck mumbled as he sat down on the lounge chair, his eyes falling on the television. He couldn't work out why his Mom would watch this crap, but he wasn't in the mood to really comment on it.

"She seems like a nice girl. Jewish?"

"Leave it, Ma." Puck groaned, looking over at his Mom who was sitting there with a small smile on her face. It wasn't until he heard a soft voice that he looked away from her and over to Rachel. She was standing in the doorway and had retrieved one of his sweatshirts from the chair and put it on, something which made him smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You weren't, Berry. Come here," Puck shifted on his chair slightly and held out his hand towards the petite brunette as she walked over to him. He saw the blush that appeared on her cheeks as he pulled her down onto his lap and it just made him tighten his grip around her a little more. Feeling her bury her head in the crook of his neck, Puck had never felt so comfortable with a girl around his family. He knew why she was there even if she hadn't said anything, but just having Rachel sitting his arms was enough.

After another thirty minutes of the four of them sitting staring at the television, Puck heard his Mom say to his sister that it was time for bed and he smiled at the two of them as both he and Rachel said 'Goodnight' to them at the same time. It was another five minutes before Rachel said anything and he was actually thankful for it.

"How are you, Noah?" She had shifted on his lap and was now looking at him, worry apparent on her face.

Shrugging his shoulders, Puck leant his head back against the chair as he closed his eyes taking a deep breath. "I've been better. It'll get easier, right?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I've never been through anything remotely like this before, nor do I know anyone who has." Rachel sighed as she leant her head back on his shoulder before continuing to talk. "I wish I could do more to help, but then I wish you had mentioned something sooner. All the times you could have told me, Noah, but you didn't."

"I know. I'm sorry." Turning his head, he pressed his lips against Rachel's forehead. "Do you have to go home soon?" He wanted her to stay, he wanted someone there next to him when he fell asleep. Even though he'd managed to fall asleep pretty easily before, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to this time. In fact, he was surprirsed that he'd slept for as long.

Rachel reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his, giving it a small squeeze which just comforted him even more. "I can stay, if you'd like?"

"That'd be good, Berry. Thanks."

"I'm here if you need to talk about it, Noah." Rachel said softly before she once again let her head rest in the crook of his neck.

"Yeah, I know." Puck leant his head lightly against Rachel's as he looked towards the television. At that moment, he was comfortable with her in his arms as they sat there. He didn't want anything to ruin that moment.

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

It had been two weeks and Puck hadn't been to school once. He'd left the house to get some dip and a slushie or two. He'd even find himself sitting in his car down Rachel's street and seeing if she went out at all. She did, with Quinn. Quinn fucking Fabray had taken Rachel under her wing or Rachel had with Quinn, he couldn't be sure. He knew this shit was hard for Quinn, he knew it. But she had been happy to give the baby up for adoption from the start, if Puck had things his way, he would have kept it.

As far as he knew, Rachel hadn't noticed him there. He didn't want her to see the mess that he had become which is why each time she showed up on his doorstep and asked for him, he got his Mom to say that he wasn't in. After the day she'd turned up and curled up beside him, he drove her home the next day and that had been the last he'd seen of her. It pissed him off more than anything, the fact that he couldn't see her. She'd become such a big part of his life and suddenly, he wasn't even letting Rachel be around him.

If he and Finn had become friends again, he could talk to him, but they weren't. Not after it all came out. Finn still wasn't talking to him. The two people he wanted around weren't. One by choice, the other because he wouldn't let her.

As he looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, he ran his hand through his short hair and down against the scruff on his face. He was a mess, a complete mess and he honestly didn't know what to do. Picking up the shaving foam, he slowly covered his short beard and then grabbed the razor. If he was going to see Rachel, he wasn't going to look a mess doing it. He refused to let her see him in this state.

Half an hour later and he was clean shaven, showered and dressed in a pair of jeans a plaid shirt, he still looked drained, his eyes were dark, but at least he didn't look half as bad as before. Grabbing the keys to his truck, his wallet and cell phone from the side, Puck made his way out of his room, giving his Mom a small smile as he passed her before silently continuing out of the front door.

It was fifteen minutes before Puck was standing outside Rachels door, a grape slushie in his hand as he knocked. He just hoped she was there and when the door swung open and the brunette stood in front of him in a pair of yoga pants and a vest top, he couldn't help but smile.

"Noah," she said softly looking up at him and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but he wasn't going to, he didn't deserve that.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" He glanced past her into her house, hearing the television blaring some song from a movie or something. He wasn't quite sure.

"No, I was just watching Mary Poppins." Puck watched her look at him and then down to the slushie and that's when he held it out towards her. "For me?"

Puck just nodded his head slightly as he answered. "To say sorry for not being around."

Rolling her eyes, Rachel took the slushie from him and then grabbed his hand with her free one and pulled him into the house, kicking the door closed behind her. "You don't need to apologise, Noah. You've had a tough time."

Pulling his hand from hers, he remained where he was as Rachel walked back into the living room, sitting down on the couch as she placed the slushie down on the coffee table. She just seemed willing to go back into their routine and to him, it didn't feel right. Not that he didn't want to, but he wanted her to talk. He wanted her to question why they hadn't seen each other in two weeks, why he'd been ignoring her calls and her visits.

"Are you going to stand there all day, Noah?" Rachel glanced up at him, patting the space on the sofa beside her as he slowly walked over and slouched down beside her, his eyes instantly fixing on the television. "We can watch something different."

"Nah, this is good, Rach." Puck glanced at the brunette who was staring at him and as he felt her hand reach up and run through his short hair, he smiled slightly at her. "I didn't want you to see me in a mess, that's why I haven't been around."

"It's fine, Noah. But I wish you had let me be around you, I've been so worried about you. I've watched you sitting in your truck down the road a couple of times, but I figured that if you wanted to see me, you would." Letting her hand fall down, she placed it on his chest. "You look tired, have you been sleeping?"

Puck just shook his head as he slipped his arm around Rachel's waist, pulling her against him. It finally felt right. For the first time in two weeks, he didn't feel like he was going to fall to pieces. "Not really. My mind has been on other things, you know?"

Rachel just nodded her head slightly as she leant her head against his shoulder, tightly wrapping her arm around his waist. "Have you been to the grave? Quinn has been going every day."

"I know. Each time I've been there to see it, she's been there. I don't want to face her, not yet." Despite the noise from the television, Puck could feel himself ready to fall asleep, it was because of Rachel, he knew it.

"That's understandable." Glancing up at him, Rachel just smiled to herself as she leant up and kissed his cheek softly. "Go to sleep, Noah. I'm not going anywhere."

"Best not, I want my girl here when I wake up." Tightening his grip on Rachel, Puck let his eyes close and it was a matter of seconds before he was asleep, Rachel curled up next to him.

_  
Now I'm just rolling home  
Into my lover's arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

It had been six weeks since they'd lost their baby and Puck and Quinn had only just started talking again. It was down to some meddling on Rachel and Finn's part that they had done. Two days after Puck had decided to clean himself up and talk to Rachel, Finn had started to talk to him. It had only been a suggestion of a game of COD, but it was something. It meant that maybe, he was going to get his best friend back. Puck needed him and he needed Rachel too.

One thing he still hadn't done was visit her grave though. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Rachel had been amazing, she'd bring it up occasionally, but then if he just gave her a look or told her to leave it, she would. She wouldn't push him, and he loved that about her. Puck never would have expected that Rachel would be the one to put him back together. It had been though, she hadn't left his side unless she really had to.

Which was why as he stood in front of his daughters grave, he had Rachel standing beside him, her tiny hand in his.

Abigail Jessica Fabray-Puckerman.

He hated how she wasn't around, he hated how he hadn't been there for Quinn, but he hated himself for how he had acted towards everyone. The brunette who was by his side, especially.

"I miss her." Puck whispered, letting go of Rachel's hand so he could put his arm around her, pulling her close against himself. "I didn't even fucking know her, but I miss her. I miss my little girl."

"I know. But you'll get your chance when you're older and you're ready. You'll be with someone who you love, who loves you and you'll have a whole family. You'll be an amazing Father, Noah. When it's time, it will happen." Rachel replied, resting her head against him as he arms moved around his waist, holding onto him tightly. She didn't want him feeling depressed, although standing in front of his daughters grave wasn't going to help that.

Puck smiled slightly as he heard his girlfriends words, before hugging her tightly against himself. "I wanted her so much, Rach. I even bought a onesie for her, it had these little gold stars on." Looking down at her, he saw her smiling up at him which made him smile. "What? I can't help it if you're on my mind a lot."

Remaining silent, Puck felt Rachel rest her head on his chest and he knew exactly what she was doing. She'd got into the habit of listening to his heartbeat, and he was certain that each time she done it, his heart would beat even faster. "Did you want to go and get a slushie?"

"And a twinkie?" Puck asked, pressing his lips to the top of Rachels' head.

"Sounds like a date, Mr. Puckerman."

"I like to think of it that way, Miss. Berry." Puck agreed, smiling at his girlfriend before looking down at his daughters grave. "I love you, Abbie. We'll be back soon." As he spoke, he felt Rachel take his hand, pulling away from him slightly. He knew that he'd always miss his little girl, but at least he had Rachel to keep him sane. She might be slightly crazy, but she was his kind of crazy. She didn't make him want to set himself on fire anymore.

_That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you.  
_

_

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_**I'm not overly happy with this ending, but at the same time I am. Review, please? Let me know what you think.**_  
_


End file.
